In this study, the construction and optimization of a low cost home-assembled DMFC single cell test station is described. The station was built using two flow control systems, for gas (air/oxygen) and liquid (methanol), a temperature controller, an electronic load, a milliohm-meter for resistance measurements and a computerized data acquisition system. The experiments were carried out on a 6.25 cm(2) single cell, built using two graphite plates with triple serpentine channel geometry for both anodic and cathodic flow fields. The cell was equipped with an MEA composed of Nafion 117 as electrolyte, Pt/C based catalyst as cathode and PtRu (1:1)/C as anode. In order to develop a HySyLab internal standard procedure, MEA activation was carefully studied. The activated MEA was used to determine the optimum values of cell operating parameters, such as oxidant flow, methanol flow and temperature. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.